! NOTICE ：
Changes in Course Requirements for British Columbia (Canada) Graduates from April/September 2025 Entries
(as of September 29, 2023)
"Educational Certification" Requirements
All first-year applicants (and some transfer applicants) must submit a set of documents called "Educational Certification." Detailed requirements differ by country/region and educational system, but in summary one of the following is needed:
□ 1. SAT or ACT Plus Writing score report
□ 2. IB Full Diploma (Final Grades or Predicted Grades report)
□ 3. GCE A Level certificate
□ 4. National/Standardized examination results/certificate/diploma
*4. only applies to particular countries/regions.
SAT, ACT Plus Writing, and GCE A Level can be used regardless of the national/regional system on which your high school curriculum is based.
>> Potential questions to be addressed by this.
SAT, ACT Plus Writing, and GCE A Level can be used regardless of the national/regional system on which your high school curriculum is based.
If applying from a country/region without a national examination results/certificate that leads to university entrance OR choosing not to use the one on which your high school curriculum is based, you must submit an SAT or ACT Plus Writing score report, or GCE A Level certificate instead for your "Educational Certification."
! ATTENTION: Please be aware that you will still need to submit a certificate of (prospective) secondary education completion since this regards your application eligibility in the first place. Otherwise, your acceptance may be canceled.
1. SAT or ACT Plus Writing score report
Your official score report must be delivered to ICU directly from the testing institution. ICU's institutional code is "0860" for SAT and "5279" for ACT Plus Writing. Make sure to arrange this well in advance so that the official certificate can reach us before the application period starts. Since it usually takes several weeks for your official report to be sent to the university, you should have this arrangement done one month before the application period.
- ! ATTENTION
- Only scores taken within the five years are valid: ICU cannot accept ones that are older than five years or more.
- ICU will evaluate your application noting the highest test scores in each section across test dates (also known as "Superscore").
Your application will be considered incomplete if your official score cannot be confirmed. When arranging the score reporting, you should keep a copy of your order invoice as proof. Also, the Online Application System (OAS) requires you to upload your test taker's score report (.pdf) for confirmation.
*Contact each testing institution for score reporting/delivery and other test-related questions.
2. IB Full Diploma (Final Grades or Predicted Grades report)
Arrange for your IB final grades to be sent to ICU electronically through the IB organization or for your school to prepare and submit a certified copy of them. If your final marks are unavailable at the time of application, request your school to issue a predicted grade report. If your school has no format for this purpose, Report Form for IB Predicted Grades may be used.
- ! ATTENTION：For those who use the predicted IB grades...
- Your application will be evaluated based on the predicted grades and other required documents. However, the admissions decision may be conditional. In such cases, the decision will be finalized when ICU confirms that you meet the criteria through the IB final results. The detailed grade requirements will be notified when you receive the conditional offer.
- If you wish to avoid the possibility of conditional acceptance, you may use SAT or ACT Plus Writing instead. Remember, however, that you must submit the IB Diploma (or equivalency if your school has other recognized accreditation for the curriculum you will complete) in the enrollment procedures once you obtain it.
3. GCE A Level certificate
Submit the following certificates (original or certified copies):
- General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A Level (A2))
- General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
- General Certificate of Education Advanced Subsidiary (GCE AS Level) (if applicable)
- ! ATTENTION: About course requirements...
- At least five subjects must be passed; ideally, one from each subject group: Humanities, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Languages. Of the five passes, two must be at the GCE A Level.
- Applicants originally from non-English speaking countries/regions are recommended to take English Language in the Language subject group unless they have spent their junior and senior high school years - approximately six years - in the British school system.
- Foreign language courses cannot be counted towards the above requirements if teaching your native language or one spoken in your home.
If your final grades are unavailable at the time of application, request your school to issue a predicted grade report.
- ! ATTENTION：For those who use the predicted grades...
- Your application will be evaluated based on the predicted grades and other required documents. However, the acceptance will be conditional. In other words, your admissions decision will be finalized when ICU reviews your final A-Level results. To this end, ask your school official to send your final results to ICU sooner after they come out.
- If you wish to avoid a conditional offer, you may use SAT or ACT Plus Writing instead. Remember, however, that you must submit your A-Level certificate in the enrollment procedures once you obtain it.
4. National/Standardized examination results/certificate/diploma
Besides these standardized test results or qualification certificates listed above 1. to 3., you may use other national/standardized examination results/certificate/diploma for "Educational Certification," which must show the completion of secondary education and thus proves your qualification for university entrance in the country/region on which your high school curriculum is based. *This only applies to particular countries/regions.
SAT, ACT Plus Writing, and GCE A Level can be used regardless of the national/regional system on which your high school curriculum is based.
>> Potential questions to be addressed by this.
For examples of "Educational Certification" by country/region, check the list below. Kindly note that the following requirements are subject to change without prior notice due to the educational reform in the country/region. If your country/region is not listed, fill in the Eligibility Check Form and send it to the Admissions Center for inquiry.
| Australia | Senior/High School Certificate* and Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).
*Details differ by state/territory. Check the website below: https://www.acaca.edu.au/index.php/senior-secondary-certificates/ |
|---|---|
| Canada | Senior/High School Final Transcript that shows the completion of the required curriculum and/or final examination for entering a four-year university in Canada. Below are course requirements by province:
|
| China | Chinese National University Entrance Examinations（普通高等学校招生全国統一考試（高考））, and Senior Secondary School Examination（高中学業水平考試（会考）） |
| France | French Baccalauréat examination certificate |
| Germany | Abitur certificate |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) report (issued in English)
|
| India | All India Senior School Certificate awarded by CBSE /Indian Certificate of Secondary Education awarded by CISCE, etc. |
| Indonesia | SAT, ACT Plus Writing or GCE A Level |
| Japan | SAT, ACT Plus Writing or GCE A Level |
| Korea | College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) result report (issued in English) |
| New Zealand | Record of Achievement and School Results Summary showing National Certificates of Educational Achievements (NCEA) Level 3 with University Entrance |
| Mexico | Bachillerato, and University entrance examination |
| Philippines | SAT, ACT Plus Writing or GCE A Level
For those who graduated high school before 2017: Second year completed at an accredited university + SAT, ACT Plus Writing or GCE A Level |
| Russia | Attestat o Srednem Obshchem Obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary General Education), and the result of entrance examinations |
| Singapore | Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Examinations Ordinary-Level (GCE O-Level) and Advanced Level (GCE A-Level).
|
| USA | SAT, ACT Plus Writing or GCE A Level |
If you are unable to take either national examinations required for admission to higher education or SAT/ACT Plus Writing because of (1) test cancellations, delays, or insufficient capacity of the test venue due to the impact of COVID-19, OR (2) natural disaster, war, or similar serious situations, contact the Admissions Center to explain the specific situation you have been placed in.
!! NOTE: Does any of the following apply to you?
□ I am an IB Diploma / GCE A Level / HKDSE candidate applying with my predicted grades, as my final grades/examination results are unavailable at the time of application.
Your application will be evaluated based on the predicted grades and other required documents. However, the acceptance will be conditional for A Level and HKDSE candidates and may be conditional for IB Diploma candidates. Your acceptance will be finalized after ICU reviews your final grades once they get released.
*See also below for some important notes.
□ My final grades/examination results* for "Educational Certification" are unavailable at the time of application, and thus I cannot submit my "Educational Certification" by the Application Period Deadline.
Even if your final grades/examination results have not yet come out at the time of application, still make sure to submit all other application documents duly in time. For September Entry, you have no option but to apply for the second application period, not the first one. Your admissions decision will not be made until your final grades/exam results are submitted.
*See also below for some important notes.
In either case of the above, please be aware of the prospective delay in your enrollment process since your admission decisions cannot be made until your final grades/exam results are submitted. Depending on when your final grades/exam results are submitted, you may not be able to apply for on-campus dormitories. For other (off-campus) housing possibilities, see the "Accommodation" section in the Admissions Guide.
Especially for foreign nationals residing outside Japan:
□ Make sure to select an appropriate application period that follows after your final grades/exam results come out. Otherwise, the above circumstances will delay not only the admission decision but also the entrance procedures afterward. This will significantly affect the required visa application process to enter Japan, and you may not be able to obtain a valid status of residence in Japan in time.
□ If you fail to obtain a valid status of residence in Japan in time, you will neither be allowed to enroll in ICU. Be sure to check the necessary visa procedures with your responsibility, as ICU does not check or consider nationalities (or visa requirements) in the screening process. For more details, refer to the "Student Visa" section in the Admissions Guide.